Radiation protective shield garments consisting of a flexible polymer matrix loaded with heavy metal in fine particulate form, are widely used in, medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine, to protect workers from x-ray exposure resulting from working in close proximity to x-ray systems and patients during imaging. The nature of the loaded polymer matrix tends to make the garment susceptible to material fatigue, causing cracks, tears or other internal damage that may compromise the protective function. Regulatory bodies including hospital accrediting bodies in the US have mandated that radiation protective garments be tested for damage, to ensure their integrity, at least once per year. Most commonly, the garments are tested by placing them flat on a smooth surface then imaging them by use of a medical radiography or fluoroscopy system. The operator uses the resulting image to detect damage, but up to now, the test data have been entirely qualitative. Other than obvious tears or cracks, there are no criteria for determining if damage is sufficient to require replacement of the garment.
Usually inspection is done visually with a fluoroscope. Tears or major punctures of the protective material are obvious reasons for discarding a garment. But most defects or damaged areas are more subtle and there are no criteria for determining how much damage should warrant replacement of the protective apron in such cases. Ideally replacement criteria should be based on how much the protection is compromised. Currently, no easy quantitative method for doing this is available; all damage assessment is totally qualitative.